The 17th meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on National Accountability Laws on Monday failed to reach any consensus because of the objections raised by the members of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) over the nearly finalised National Accountability Commission (NAC) bill.
According to details, the PTI tried to push for accountability on both federal and provincial levels, with PPP insisting that the proposed law should only be applicable to federal government and its employees.
Law Minister Zahid Hamid claimed that the meeting ended without an outcome because the committee members had other engagements. He also said that the committee debated over the definition of public servants, which would fall under the NAC’s ambit.
Last week, the committee members from all political parties had unanimously withdrawn the suggestion of holding generals and judges accountable under the proposed law. However, PPP’s Naveed Qamar said that the suggestion was retracted because it might have led to a conflict between state institutions.
Furthermore, he said that every institution has its own accountability process.
PTI’s Shireen Mazari, whose party had staged a walk-out in the previous meeting complaining that the government was not willing to consider their suggestions, hinted at some development. “The government has considered our suggestions today,” Mazari said but warned that PTI chief Imran Khan plans to stage a sit-in if NAC offers protections to the corrupt mafia.
The accountability law aims at leaving no sacred cows untouched and has spent over a year on the drawing board.
However, earlier in October, the PTI and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) frustrated the nearly year-long process of drafting legislation with a U-turn during the 13th meeting of the committee, shattering the consensus built around the nearly finalised bill.
MQM members had rejected the draft bill outright, while Mazari was of the view that the PTI would come up with its own recommendations for across-the-board accountability.
